Foldable rocking device



Nov. 28, 1961 c. v. JOHNSON FOLDABLE ROCKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1960 INVENTOR lorence V. John son Nov. 28, 1961 c. v. JOHNSON 3,010,719

FOLDABLE ROCKING DEVICE Filed April 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

. INVENTOR. LARENCE V. JOHNSON ATTOR/VE Y5 United States Patent 3,010,719 FOLDABLE ROCKING DEVICE Clarence V. Johnson, Box 6, Yates Center, Kans.

Filed Apr. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 20,197

6 Claims. (Cl. 27256) This application is a continuation-in-part of my allowed application Serial No. 802,900, now forfeited, filed March 30, 1959, for Foldable Combination Exerciser and Rocking Device.

The invention relates primarily to amusement devices of the rocking or teeter-totter type but it may also be used by children or adults for performing calisthenic and gymnastic exercises while the body of the user is in an approved inclined position.

The invention contemplates an elongated body with a foldable elongated top portion on which the human body may be supported in a prone position and with removable seats at each end, the body of the device being mounted on a pair of foldable curved runners or rockers so that the device may be used as a childs toy for amusement as well as for exercising purposes.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the above stated character which may be folded very compactly to facilitate its transportation and storage when the device is not in use.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is not only strong and durable but which is very light in weight so that it can be easily handled.

Another object is to provide a device which is not only useable as a teeter-totter but which may also be used as an exerciser to support the human body in an inclined prone position with his head at the lower end of the top portion or of the body of the device.

' Another object is to provide improved means for fastening the curved runners or rockers in overlapped folded positions. 7

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the improved rocking and exercising device set up for use, with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device as shown in FIG. 1;

' FIG. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the rockers fastened in their folded positions;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the device showing it in its folded condition;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the device in its folded condition;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are detail sections taken respectively on the lines 8-8 and 9-9 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a rather diagrammatic side view of the device with the seats removed and showing it in an inclined position for use in taking exercises with the users head at the lower end.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the numeral 10 denotes the main body of the device on the bottom of which are mounted foldable runners or rockers 11 and 12 and on the top of which may be detachably mounted a foldable top member 13 carrying at its ends adjustable and detachable seats 15. The table or body 10, preferably made of plywood, may be a flat rectangular board 14" or more in width and of any desired length. Obviously it may carry the removable seats 15 if made of suitable length. The top 13 is composed of two similar sections 16 and 17 which may be flat and rectangular pieces of plywood of the same width as the body and of any desired length. These two top sections have their adjacent ends connected by leaf hinges 18 for folding movement, one upon the other. When these sections 16 and 17 are in the same plane on the top of the body 10, their combined length is preferably at least 6' so that the human body may lie prone on the top 13, with or without the seats.

The rockers 11 and 12 are disposed longitudinally under the side portions of the body and have their ends pivotally mounted so that they may fold inwardly toward each other into overlapped relation, as seen in FIG. 5, from positions perpendicular to the plane of the body, as seen in FIGS. 1-4. The runners are shown as made of light-weight metal tubes and have at the ends of their curved portions axially alined straight portions 20 adapted to receive metal pivot pins 21 and 22 suitably fixed to the body. The pivots for one rocker are disposed closer to the bottom face of the body than the pivots for the other rocker so that when the rockers are folded they are in contact in substantially parallel relation. That may be done by fixing the pivots of one rocker directly on the bottom of the body and fixing those of the other rocker on spacing blocks. As shown the pivots of both rockers are fixed to blocks 23, the blocks on one ,side being thicker than the blocks on the other side of the device. As seen in FIG. 8 the pivot pin 21 at one end of the rocker is formed with a right angularly projecting spur 24 which is driven into the block to fix the pin. As shown in FIG. 9 the pivot pin 22 at the other end of the rocker is removably mounted on the block by forming it with an enlarged apertured portion 25 and a right angularly bent end 26 adapted to engage a vertical edge of the block 23. A screw 27 in the portion 24 removably fastens the pivot pin to the block.

In order to fix the rockers in the operative positions, that is, in vertical parallel relation perpendicular to the plane of the body 10, a rocker holding member 29 is hingedly mounted at the center of the bottom of the body to fold flat against the latter before the rockers are folded. This member may be a suitably shaped piece of plywood which has its upper end fastened by leaf hinges 30 to the body and disposed transversely thereof. The lower end of the rocker holding member or plate 29 is formed with spaced notches 31 shaped to receive the rockers as seen in FIG. 4. The member 29 is preferably held in its perpendicular operative position by a pivoted hook 32 adapted to engage an eye 33, one being fastened to the body 10 and the other to the member, but other means may be employed for holding the member so that it will hold the runners in operative positions.

In order to hold the member and runners in their folded positions suitable latch means may be provided, such as a hook shaped screw 35 threaded into one side of the member 29 and adapted to rotate so that its bent end may be swung over a portion of the outermost or lowermost runner after the member and the runners have been folded, as will be understood on reference to FIG. 6. Thus the latch holds both the runners and the member folded.

As previously noted the foldable top member 13 is both slidably and removably mounted on the body 10. That is accomplished by the use of two removable clamping bolts 37 and 38 with wing nuts mounted in holes longitudinally spaced on opposite sides of the center of the body. As seen in FIG. 3 the bolt 37 extends through a long central longitudinal slot 39 formed in the top sec- 3 tion 17 and extending from its hinged end to a point adjacent its free end. The bolt 38 extends through a shorter central longitudinal slot 4'0 formed in the top section 16 and opening through the hinged end of that section. That arrangement of slots and bolts and the making of the sections 16 and 17 of equal size and weight but longer than the body 10, provides several advantages. When the'hinge 18 connecting the sections is at the center of the body 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the device will be balanced and the top will be supported on the rockers in a horizontal position. If the bolts 37 and 38 are loosened and the entire top 13 is slid endwise as far as the slot 40 permits and those bolts are then tightened,

the top will be unbalanced so that it will be supported in 'an inclined position since more of the Weight of the sectional top 13 will be on one side of the center of the body. When it is desired to fold the device into the compact form shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, runners'll and 12 and the holding member 29 are first folded and fastened by the latch 35, and after the bolts 37 and 38 are loosened the sectional top 13 is slid endwise on the body until the bolt 38 is at the closed end of the slot 40. In such position the bolt 37 will also be in the slot 40 and the section 17 may then be folded over on the section'16. The parts will then be in the positions shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 so that the folded device will be 'very small in size. i

The detachable seats may or may not be used but when used they are preferably made longitudinaliy adjustable on the top sections by bolts 41 and 42 with wing nuts. Bolt 41 passes through the outer portion of the long slot 39 While bolt 42 passes through a short central longitudinal slot 43 formed in the section 16 as seen in FIG. 3. In order to prevent the seats from turning on the bolts, spaced parallel strips 44 are fastened to the bottoms of theseats to slidably engage the parallel side edges of the rectangular outer ends of the top sections.

The device may be used'by children as a teeter-totter and the adjustability of the seats permits one end of the device to be made heavier than the other according to V the weights of the two children using the toy. The device may also be used as. an exerciser by children or adults with the top 13 inclined at an approved angle of from 12- to 22 for taking exercises, since the human body will be supported in an inclined position with the head at the lower end of the device. The diagrammatic view FIG. 10 shows the top'13 in such an inclined position, and it may be retained in such position either by adjusting the sectional top to an overbalanced position as above noted or by the use of a suitable prop or support under the high end of the body 10 or the top 13. When used as an exerciser, the seats are preferably removed as in FIG. 10 and a cushioning pad 45 may be removably fastened on the sectional top. If desiredflexible hand loops 46 may be provided on the sides of the top 13, and at the high end of the latter afoot receiving loop 47 may be used.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed. 9

I claim: a

1. 'In a foldable rocking device, the combination of a flat elongated body, a pair of longitudinally extending curved rockers disposed under the side portions of the body and'pivotally connected thereto at their ends for in- 4 a ward folding from parallelpositions perpendicular to the plane of the body to overlap substantially parallel positions adjacent the bottom of the body, a foldable rocker holding member disposed transversely beneath said body and having its upper end hingedly connected to the central portion thereof for swinging from a folded position next to the body and beneath said rockers when the latter are folded, to a rocker-holding position perpendicular to the plane of the body, the free end of said member having spaced notches to receive the rockers when the latter are perpendicular to the body, releasable means holding said -member in its perpendicular position with its notches engaged with the rockers, and a second releasable means en gageable with the lowermost or outermost of the rockers when the latter are folded, to hold said member and said rockers in their folded positions.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said rockers are longitudinally curved metal tubes with straight axially alined ends, and said pivotal connections of the rockers to said body comprise metal pivot pins each having one end telescoped in one of the straight ends of the rocker tubes and means fixing the other ends of said pivot pins to said body, the two pivot pins of the rocker on one side of the device being spaced a greater distance from the bottom of the body than the pivot pins for theother rocker to permit the rockers to be folded into contacting and substantially parallel relation.

3. The combination of claim 1 together with a foldable top adjustably mounted on the upper side of said body, said top comprising two fiat and elongated sections having their adjacent ends hingedly connected for folding, said top sections extending longitudinally of said body and being slidable thereon, means adjustably fixing one of said top sections to said body, and means removably fixing the other top section to said body when it is unfolded and in the plane of said one top section.

4. The combination of claim 1, together with a foldable top adjustably mounted on the upper side of said body, said top comprising two flat and elongated sections having their adjacent ends hingedly connected for folding, said top sections extending longitudinally of said body and being slidable thereon, means adjustably clamping one of said top sections to said body on one side of the center of the latter, and removable means clamping the other of said top sections on the'other side of the center of said body. v

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said adjustable clamping means for said one of said top sections comprises a clamping bolt in said body and disposed in a longitudinal slot in said one top section, and said removable clamping means for the other of said topv sections comprises a removable bolt in said body and disposed in a longitudinal slot in said other top section.

6. The combination of claim 4 in which the free ends of said top sections are of substantially rectangular shape and have parallel side edges and are also formed with longitudinal slots, together with seats slidably adjustable on said free ends, parallel strips on the bottoms of said eats slidably engaged with the parallel edges of said free ends, and removable clamping bolts in said seats and disposed in said slots in the top sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 24,299 Griswold et a1 June 7, 1859 419,405 Bessett Jan. 14 1890 1,039,699 Converse Oct. 1, 1912 1,250,045 Steinbach Dec. 11, 1917 

